I’m sorry for creating the labradoodle

THEY look cute and fluffy, but to the man who bred the first labradoodle they
are “Frankenstein’s monsters”.

Australian Wally Conron regrets creating the labrador/poodle crossbreed that
sparked the craze for “designer dogs”.

Now you can get everything from puggles (a pug/beagle cross) to chorkies
(chihuahua/Yorkshire terrier). Poodles alone have been crossbred with
everything from pekingeses (peekapoos) to malteses (maltipoos).

And unscrupulous breeders cashing in on the craze are turning out unstable
dogs riddled with health problems.

Goldendoodle

BARNEY, a golden retriever/poodle cross, was filthy and neglected in the back
yard of a pet shop when he was spotted by technology officer Mike Murray,
44, from Kenley, north London, two years ago.

Mike says: “I think the pet shop must have bought him in when he was a cute
puppy. But as soon as he grew so big they realised he would be hard to sell.
At five months old he was the size of a small horse. They were more than
happy for me to take him off their hands.

“The problem with some goldendoodles is that they don’t always come out as
they’re meant to. You can’t just cross two dogs and expect to get a perfect
prototype.”

Sichon

MILLIE, a cross between a bichon frise and a shih tzu, was bought by
counsellor Sue Emerson, 51, from Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, in 2012.

She got her through a friend of a friend for £350. Neither health tests nor
paperwork were available. There were problems from the start.

It turned out Millie had a hole in her heart and a leaky valve. Sue paid more
than £2,000 in vet’s bills, but in May 2013, when Millie’s breathing became
worse just short of her first birthday, a heartbroken Sue had her put down.

Sue says: “It was devastating, she’d become part of the family. Looking back,
I wish I’d done more research. I had no idea who Millie’s parents were and
no doubt her breeding contributed to her poor health.”